1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to battery charging systems and, more particularly, to such a system for optimally charging storage batteries in as short a time as possible without damage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of battery powered systems, the lead-acid storage battery has found use in a wide diversity of applications. Normally, such batteries are used in conjunction with some form of recharging apparatus which is either continuously or periodically connected to the battery.
Heretofore, battery chargers were designed for the charging characteristics of a typical battery. However, it has been found that actual batteries vary widely in internal electrical parameters and their ability to accept charge during charging and their discharging characteristics. The battery parameters are dependent, in part, on particular battery configurations of different manufacturers, differences from battery to battery of a particular manufacturer, the environment in which the battery has been operated, the type of use to which the battery is put, and the age of the battery.
The variations in battery characteristics are so great that the assumption of a typical battery for determining charger characteristics can result in undercharging one battery and overcharging another battery to the point of damage. Additionally, some applications of storage batteries require the series or parallel connection of a number of batteries to provide particular voltage or current requirements. In typical battery combinations, the discharged state of the cells of the batteries, as well as their ability to accept charge varies widely. Thus, when all of the batteries are charged with a common charger, the charging conditions for the combined batteries can result in some batteries in the combination being undercharged and others being overcharged to the point of damage.
Thus, there has long been a need in the field of batteries and battery chargers for a charging system which could quickly and fully charge batteries without damage regardless of their age or condition. This need has been particularly long felt for battery charging systems designed to commonly charge a number of batteries connected together for a particular purpose. The present invention fulfills this need.